By Eric Attwell.

Inscribed to George Pemba from Eric Attwell.
Inscribed to Andrew Reed from George Pemba.
Ex Libris, Andrew Reed, whom I quote: ‘They (Pemba and Attwell) were friends over a long period in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha). Eric had a strong interest in the arts and had been a long-time supporter of George.

On one of my visits to George, he happened to mention this, and I expressed interest in meeting Eric. I had read his book "The Road to London". Next thing, George contacted Eric to set up a meeting and Eric presented him with a signed copy of his book. I visited George a few days later. We couldn't visit Eric on that occasion as he wasn't available that day, but George gifted me the signed copy of Eric's book by way of compensation. I didn't expect it but accepted his gift with gratitude. George indicated that he knew the book and didn't need another copy of it.

I lived in Port Alfred at the time and travelled through to visit George and Fogarty's bookshop in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) occasionally. We usually went to the beachfront for an ice cream or milkshake as well, if time allowed.’

Andrew Reed is a Classic car and motor racing journalist.

158mm x 230mm

R8,500

This book is The Road to London: Over 11 000 Kilometres Through Africa and Europe by Bicycle, written by Eric Attwell and published in South Africa.

1. First Documented Transcontinental African Cycle Expedition

The book chronicles a extraordinary journey undertaken in 1936 by two brothers, Eric and Jack Attwell. Setting off from Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), South Africa, they rode over 11,000 kilometers through Africa and across Europe to reach London. Their journey is widely recognized as the first fully documented transcontinental African cycle journey.

2. A Two-Year Epic on Unpaved Roads

The entire journey took nearly two years (1936–1938), though only about eight months were spent actively in the saddle.

• Delays & Conditions: The brothers spent four months stuck in Bulawayo waiting out torrential monsoon-like rains that turned the dirt tracks into impassable mud.

• The "Great North Road": They navigated through vast unpaved stretches across Rhodesia, Tanganyika, and Kenya along the rough track then known simply as the Great North Road.

• Tsetse Flies & Wildlife: The brothers relied on basic, single-gear bicycles without gear shifters, frequently having to out-pedal swarms of tsetse flies in equatorial zones.

3. Foreword by World-Renowned Playwright Athol Fugard

The book features a foreword written by famous South African playwright, novelist, and anti-apartheid figure Athol Fugard. Fugard—best known for plays like Master Harold... and the Boys and Boesman and Lena—was a close friend and supporter of Attwell, admiring the raw, unpretentious spirit of adventure captured in the story.

4. Dedicated to a Tragic Companion

The book carries a poignant dedication: "To the memory of Jack. The finest companion I could have had."

Jack Attwell, who shared every grueling kilometer of the 1936 ride, tragically died in a motorcycle accident in 1963—years before Eric finally published the complete retrospective account of their shared youth.

5. Arriving Penny-Less in Pre-WWII London

Upon finally reaching London just prior to the outbreak of World War II, the brothers had exhausted virtually all their money. Eric Attwell ended up finding work as a quality control inspector in a Spitfire aircraft factory during the early years of WWII and survived heavy aerial bombing raids in Britain before returning to South Africa.

6. Published Decades Later as an Africana Classic

Although the journey took place in the mid-1930s, the manuscript was published decades later (printed by Palladian Press / R. B. Howell in the late 1970s/1980s). It remains a sought-after work of travel literature and Africana, praised for its vivid snapshot of pre-war colonial Africa before modern highways, tour operators, or global communications existed.